Journal of Sleep Medicine  2016;13(2):70-73

doi:10.13078/jsm.16013

Two Cases of Sleep-Related Painful Erection.

Kyoo Ho CHO 1 ; Hye Ihn KIM ; Kyoung HEO ; Yang Je CHO

Affiliations

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Keywords

Sleep related painful erection; Nocturnal tumescence; Polysomnography

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Sleep-related painful erection (SRPE) is characterized by deep penile pain accompanied with erection occurring rapid eye movement (REM) movement period. Two (47-year-old and 40-year-old, respectively) male visited with the complaint of painful penile erection occurring during sleep. They had no problems with erection during daytime sexual activities except for mild premature ejaculation in one patient. Urologic inspections revealed no focal abnormalities. Polysomnography with simultaneous penile erection monitoring showed several episodes of awakening with painful erection which are time-locked to onset of REM sleep periods. According to the diagnostic criteria in international classification of sleep disorders, each patient was diagnosed to have chronic, severe SRPE. Despite of a low prevalence of SRPE, this condition should be considered in a patient who presents with nocturnal penile. A polysomnography accompanied with penile erection recording may help confirm diagnosis.